Teatime
by Evility
Summary: Elizabeth is enjoying a solitary moment with her tea. Suddenly her privacy is intruded upon by a certain Mr. Darcy.


_Thanks to those who loved __Storytime__ and reviewed. I bring you another little one-shot in roughly the same league. 1995 BBC __Pride and Prejudice__ rules the galaxy; Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth rule the universe._

**Disclaimer:** Jane Austen's geniuses can never be copied.

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Elizabeth Bennet had never taken much of a liking to tea. Sitting by the window and sipping out of exquisite china she had often seen done by her friend Charlotte, the last time she took the trouble to visit Charlotte's new home in Kent. Such action, graceful though Elizabeth must admit, is much too associated with the image of a married woman for her to take a liking to it. That is not to say that Elizabeth holds anything against married women. It is because Elizabeth considers herself as most far away from a married woman as a woman could possibly be – and also because Mr. Collins refuses to halt his melodramatic speeches about the gracefulness of his "very dear Charlotte" that it pains Elizabeth to even consider the idea of herself in the same league as something _he_ approves of. So, for what seemed like the longest time, Elizabeth was happy with her disapproval of tea, her liberty for walks, and her inability to sit for long in any household.

Then, along came a downpour of unexpected events and among them, a certain Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.

Elizabeth still marvels at how drastically one's opinions may change. Not so long ago, he was considered the last man in the world she would ever marry; and now, whatever managed to possess her – she did not desire to muse too much of this during such a nice afternoon – she is engaged to him. To Mr. Darcy! The look on everybody's faces! She smiled as she recalled her mother, who could babble of nothing but "ten thousand pounds a year", and her father, who initially thought her insane. How amusedly did she think of the whole affair – _she_, Elizabeth Bennet, will be a married woman.

And so she felt obliged to "train herself", as she called it, so that she could grow accustomed to the required grace of a married woman, which she rarely gave a thought of until now. Thus, it was not too strange when Elizabeth Bennet was spotted sitting by the window and sipping tea out of a very exquisite china cup on a nice afternoon – at least to herself it seemed like so. Whenever she felt an inclination to leave the house and walk, she let herself think of Mr. Darcy; then the serene sentiments returned to her and she wanted to walk no more. She began to feel the magic of the tealeaves and marveled at how it was possible to taste various flavours in a same cup. Such wondrous sensation made her crave for more. In a week, she has tried five different types of tea and loved them all. She has become friends with something she previously disregarded and she was enjoying the new experience.

And on this afternoon she was sitting alone by a window of Longbourn's, trying a sixth kind of tealeaf, feeling more serene than ever until a servant announced at the door the presence of Mr. Darcy. Her heart skipped a beat wildly and, before she could bring herself to stand up, Mr. Darcy walked in.

She blushed at the suddenness of this visit and set down the teacup, scrambling up as quickly as she could and gave a clumsy curtsey. Mr. Darcy smiled.

"I see that you are enjoying a solitary moment, dear Elizabeth. May I join you for a moment?"

She blushed again, this time at the addressing "dear Elizabeth", which she very much enjoyed hearing. Disconcerted though she was, she managed a graceful reply with a happy smile on the face, "Certainly, Mr. Darcy. Please sit down."

And so they did.

"I am rather surprised that you are not outside on an afternoon such as this, Elizabeth," said Mr. Darcy questioningly, as soon as Elizabeth again lifted her teacup. "Have you found a second hobby that is so interesting as to wane your passion for fine afternoon walks in the shades?"

Elizabeth smiled. "It is not so much a hobby as an… attempted adaptation to a newer lifestyle."

"Adaptation? Newer lifestyle?" Darcy seemed rather intrigued, though he could barely conceal a knowing smile which refused to leave his lips. "I am fascinated. Enlighten me with some information please, Elizabeth."

"Well," Elizabeth replied archly, her playful nature surfacing in the form of a smirk as she searched for the right words to use, "You foresee as well as I do that very soon I shall no longer bear my current name. And I am sure, Mr. Darcy, that you know that a change of name is rather significant and may bring forth many other changes and responsibilities."

"I am well aware."

"Of course you are, my dear Mr. Darcy. So in preparation to such changes that may take place, I have come to the realization that tea is an exquisite art that is more enjoyable than I had ever believed it to be. I find it rather soothing to be indoors when I can utilize my unfortunately limited artistic abilities to a certain extent. Today is just the case, which is why I remain indoors."

"I see," replied Mr. Darcy with a nod and a widening smile, "It is very understandable. But I hope you realize that no changes brought forth by a name can possibly be so severe as to force you to find new hobbies, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth became a little confused. "What may you mean, Mr. Darcy?"

"I mean that you take the significance of a name too seriously, Elizabeth. Certainly the change of your name brings forth new responsibilities, but it cannot and should not wipe away your personality. You should still be the lively Elizabeth no matter what your last name may be. So tell me, should you not be taking a walk on a fine afternoon such as this?"

"But I have just started to enjoy tea, Mr. Darcy!"

"And so you shall continue to do so whenever you like, Elizabeth. You only ought to realize that your new name is not meant to be a bounding chain of your lively soul."

At such words Elizabeth gave a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr. Darcy. But I hope you realize that I am rather excited to embrace my new name as well as my new responsibilities, and that by sitting here enjoying tea, I feel just as satisfied as though I were taking a turn about the country."

"You insist on remaining here then?"

"I do, sir. I hope you understand."

"I certainly do." With what almost seemed like a smirk Mr. Darcy reached for his hat, stood up and bowed. "In such case I regret to say that I had intended to ask you to go for a walk with me; but since you are rather preoccupied, I suppose I shall come back on another day."

"What!" Elizabeth exclaimed, feeling utterly trumped. "I had not known that you had intended that, Mr. Darcy!"

His smirk was now evident. "Yes, but even had you known it would not have made a difference, since you have just begun to enjoy tea and it is providing you with as much amusement as a walk can."

"Oh, Mr. Darcy!" Elizabeth reddened, and proceeded to reply in a chiding tone, "But you know very well that I shall gladly take a walk in the country with you. My name has not yet changed, and even if it has, the change is not meant to be a bounding chain of my lively soul."

Mr. Darcy chuckled and held out an arm, "I see that you are very willing indeed and I have no reason to refuse, since now I have gained what I originally came here for. But what about your tea?"

Elizabeth left her seat, took the arm and cast a brief glance at her exquisite china cup. Then her face was lit up with a radiant smile.

"It can come later."

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_Please shower me with reviews and constructive criticisms :D! I shall love you and give you cookies._


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